Monday, September 19, 2016

Weekly Events & Opportunities in Sustainable Farming & Foods!

September 20. Online. Join OSA, Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA), and other organic seed experts for the fourth of this six-webinar series on organic seed production providing training for seed growers and seed production interns throughout the 2016 growing season. The free webinars are open to the public and appropriate for farmers, interns, students, and other agricultural professionals. http://articles.extension.org/pages/73816/organic-seed-production-webinar-series

Organic Seed Production Six Webinar Series Part 4: Seed Quality, Harvesting and Equipment

Tuesday, September 20 at 1:00 pm CDT. Location: Register in advance at http://articles.extension.org/pages/73816. A new six-webinar series on organic seed production will provide training for seed growers and seed production interns throughout the 2016 growing season (June - November). This series, offered by Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) and the Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA), will cover a range of topics, from planting to harvest to the economics of seed production. The series is delivered as part of a new seed internship program offered by OSA and MESA with support from the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. The free webinars are open to the public and appropriate for farmers, interns, students, and other agricultural professionals. They will take place on the third Tuesday of each month, and the first one is on June 21st! You can just register once at the link below and attend any or all of the webinars listed below!

Getting it There: The Role of Distributors in Providing Local Food to Institutions

Wednesday, September 21 at 2:00 pm CDT. This session includes an overview of the seven steps to staffing for the farm and ranch. You'll learn how to map the human resource needs for your agricultural operation, writing job descriptions, advertising your position, and the do's and don'ts of the interview process.http://go.umd.edu/OSUAgLabor

SBS Seminar: Romy Chakraborty, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

September 22. 3:30 pm–4:30 pm. UNL's City Campus, Hamilton Hall Room: 112. School of Biological Sciences, 402-472-2720, biology@unl.edu. “Exploring Plant-Microbe Interactions for Sustainable Supply of Nutrients” The School of Biological Sciences Seminar is a weekly series presented by invited speakers and UNL faculty to showcase current research advances in biological sciences. Additional Public Info:http://biosci.unl.edu/school-biological-sciences-seminar-series

United States Department of Agriculture Fall Forum:

September 22. 4:00 pm–5:30 pm. UNL's East Campus. Hardin Hall. Jessie Brophy,402-472-7080, jbrophy3@unl.edu, Agriculture is rapidly evolving, and USDA is constantly striving to meet the shifting demands of producers, consumers, businesses, families—and everyone in between. Over the past seven years, USDA has engaged its resources to support a strong next generation of farmers and ranchers by improving access to land and capital, building new markets and market opportunities, extending new conservation opportunities, offering appropriate risk management tools, and increasing our outreach, education, and technical support. Please bring your suggestions on how USDA can partner with others to address issues related to land tenure and transition, new and beginning farmers, and tools to support the next generation of agriculture. For more information on USDA’s work to support beginning farmers and land tenure, please visitwww.usda.gov/newfarmers and USDA’s Land Tenure information source. Please RSVP to go.unl.edu/USDAFallForum,

Agronomy and Horticulture Seminar – Arthur Zygielbaum

September 23. 3:30 pm–4:30 pm. UNL's East Campus, Keim Hall. Judy Fredrick, 402-472-5138, jfredrick3@unl.edu. Arthur Zygielbaum, research associate professor, Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies, UNL School of Natural Resources, will present, “Phenotyping and remote sensing—what are the chances?” Remote sensing has been used for decades to estimate vegetation biophysical parameters. While techniques relating spectral reflectance to pigment content are well understood, reliable estimation of osmoregulated compounds has yet to be realized. This talk is an overview of reflected spectrum remote sensing. Join us in person or online athttps://connect.unl.edu/fridayseminarseries.

2016 Farm Tour and Field Day - Backyard Aquaponics

Join Community Crops on a visit to aquaponics farm, The Edible Source in southeast Lincoln, NE. Farm owner Adam Beckman will be on hand to show off the earth-sheltered greenhouse and answer questions about his aquaponics operation. After the tour there will be a building demonstration of a small table-top aquaponics system that you can implement on your own farm or in your backyard. https://communitycrops.z2systems.com/np/clients/communitycrops/eventRegistration.jsp?event=1532&

Composting Demonstration

September 24. 10:00 am. Pioneers Park Nature Center’s backyard composting demonstration area. Sarah Browning, Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County, 402-441-7180, sbrowning2@unl.edu. Learn how to be successful with composting by attending a free composting demonstration sponsored by Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County and the City of Lincoln Recycling Office. Demonstrations are presented by Extension Master Gardeners. You will see three types of composting bins and how to use them. Two lucky participants will win either a composting thermometer or a composting bin.

September 23-25. Salina, Kansas. This festival will celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Land Institute, recognizing the organization's achievements. The event includes a look in the rearview mirror and a look ahead. Former Land Institute interns, graduate fellows and post-doctoral researchers will return. Fred Iutzi, a former Land Institute Fellow, will become president of the organization, and scientists will take the stage to talk about their research. https://landinstitute.org/events/calendar-events/prairie-festival-2016

Opportunities

Job Opportunity

Resident Farmer, The Grain Place. The Grain Place Farm is a privately held corporation and is a 280 acre pioneering organic farm that has been in the same family since 1953. Ownership is being transitioned from family members to the Grain Place Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit private operating educational and scientific foundation. The farm is also home to Grain Place Foods a separate corporation that processes and packages organic grains and grain products. As members of the family retire and the foundation assumes majority ownership of the farm, we are searching for a farmer to take over operation of the farm. More information contact, cevans@grainplacefoods.com

Started on Purina Game Bird Startena, non medicated, 30%. Three weeks ago switched to Soy Free, Non GMO layer ration 19-20%. Also after 8 weeks, free choice organic wheat. Free ranging. Can do on farm pick up or by possible delivery. Email: lil-nipper-ranch@msn.com. Please place "Turkeys" on the subject line.

For Sale

Good Boer breeding bucks for sale. They are 100% grass fed. Also have a couple nice pastured X- bred (Hereford/large black) boars for sale. If interested call 308-750-1086. Bob Bernt

BCS 749 walk behind tractor with 30" tiller, rotary plow, and potato/root digger blade for sale. Tractor features 13 HP Honda GX390 gas engine, 3 forward and 3 reverse speeds, individual wheel brakes, power safe clutch, pull start (always starts on first pull). This thing is a beast with a great warranty. Used 2.5 seasons. This is a package deal. Rotary plow essential in making and maintaining raised beds, hilling potatoes, etc. Tiller will go deep and create great fine tilled beds and the root digger is great for rolling the taters out. Available for pick up in southeast Nebraska. Thanks, Robert White, lnkrob@gmail.com

For Sale

I have a 1967 John Deere 2510 for sale. It's diesal. I am the third owner. The last owner rebuilt the engine. It handles well, turns good and you can clearly see what you're doing from the seat. It has six implements, 2 cultivators, a chisel, a disk, a 3 bottom plow and a 5' land pride reverse tiller. The tiller makes a fine seed bed on level ground but isn't appropraite for sloped ground as it will drag to soil to the bottom. The tiller was only used for two years. If you're interested please send me an e-mail and I can send you pictures. Thanks, Maria Stewart, Lebanon, Ks,

Over the years several NSAS members, especially organic producers , have bought osage orange posts from my son Chris Rohrbaugh. He still offers posts but is also producing for Crete Lumber in Crete. Crete Lumber has always been a great supporter of sustainable agriculture. Paul & Cyndie Rohrbaugh, Pawnee Pride Meats

After 20+ years of chickens, we have decided to call it quits! So we have for sale a Heavy duty custom-built chicken picker and scalde. More pics available. $800 each. 402-254-2372. Dave & Jill Wubben

Large stacking agricultural crates for producers for sale

FarmTable Delivery is selling large stacking agricultural crates for producers. They measure 23.75 x 15.75 x 7.25 inches, have ventilation holes and are asymmetrical so they can either nest or stack with a 180 degree turn. A great product - food grade, freezer and dishwasher safe, some producers use them for deliveries and have customers dishwash and return them!

Tuesday, September 27 at 12:00 pm CDT. Participate in this webinar to understand the current and potential effects that climate change will have on livestock farmers across the country. The emphasis of this webinar will be placed on dairy, beef, small ruminants, and horses and the impacts that extreme heat, cold snaps, weather shifts, droughts, and excessive rain will have on the animal’s health and diet.http://www.climatewebinars.net/webinars/climate-change-and-its-effects-on-animal-agriculture

Using NRCS's PLANTS Database in Conservation Planning

September 28. Online. This free, one-hour webinar is presented by the USDA NRCS East National Technology Support Center. Participate to learn how the data available in the National Plant Data Team’s PLANTS database and website (http://plants.usda.gov) can be used in conservation planning. PLANTS is the central repository of basic plant information for NRCS, and provides data for the approximately 25,000 native and naturalized plant species in the United States and its possessions. This webinar will review how PLANTS data can be used in conservation planning, including pollinator plantings; alternative and cover crop selections, establishment and maintenance; rangeland management; managing for culturally significant plants; ecological site descriptions; invasive and noxious plant species control; and phytoremediation.http://www.conservationwebinars.net/webinars/using-nrcs-plants-database-in-conservation-planning

Urban Agriculture and the Next Farm Bill Symposium

September 30

​.

Washington, D.C. and Online

​.

The George Washington University, AGree, Michigan State University, and the University of the District of Columbia present this free, one-day symposium focusing on the forthcoming 2018 Farm Bill. The event will also livestream. Panels will discuss social justice and urban agriculture, business and financing of urban agriculture, innovations, and more.